The benefits of staying in shape have been espoused numerous times. I don’t want to focus too much on that here. Though, it is worth keeping in mind that studies have shown thinner, more attractive-looking people receive preferential treatment in the job market. While that might be “unfair” or “discriminatory”, the fact of the matter is, human nature responds better to people we view as being attractive. Remember this little fact as you near potential job interviews or important meetings. “Looking good” never hurts and exercise certainly helps your looks.

So assuming you have an interest in exercising and saving money, what are some options? Gym memberships can cost a small fortune in some parts of the country. Yoga studios charge hefty prices to join their classes. Other forms of exercise, such as biking, require a large up-front investment in equipment. Is there any way to exercise cheaply? Worry not. There are ways.

Walk As A Means of Transportation

Look at your daily schedule. How much driving or use of public transportation is there? Have you considered that by walking rather than driving or taking the bus, you can kill a few birds with one stone. Not only is walking incredibly healthy and good for burning fat, but it can also help save money on transportation costs. Depending on your situation, you might be able to get rid of your car completely if you’re able to accept walking as a reasonable substitute. In times when walking won’t cut it, you can always call a taxi. You’ll have a surplus of money to use for the occasional taxi from the money you’re saving by not having a car, insurance payments, and fuel costs.

Use Your Own Body to Lift Weights

The notion that you need weights in order to build muscle is purely a myth. Some of the best looking men on the planet never touch a weight, they simply use a combination of their own body and gravity in order to build muscle. Last I checked, gravity is around in plentiful supply. It’s cheap too!

How do they do this? By challenging themselves in a variety of ways. Lunges and squats can be done without weight. By doing more reps (to account for the lack of weight), your body will build more lean muscle and less bulky, meathead, gym-rat muscle. Take a guy like Matthew McConaughey. I think most men could agree that looking like him would be acceptable. Do you think a guy like that only got that body thanks to dead weights? Nope. He did it by mixing cardiovascular workouts (jogging) with resistance training (pushups, squats, situps, etc). None of these exercises require anything other than a decent pair of shoes and he looks better than 99.9% of every man in the country who visited a gym today.

Use Free Resources

If you live near a high school, there’s a gigantic piece of exercise equipment that is totally free to use. Wanna know what it is? The football stadium bleachers. And believe me, there are few exercises that will do more for getting up your heart-rate and burning calories than running stairs.

Or maybe you live near a beach. Jogging along the coast is a fantastic way to build strength through your legs and gluts; the added resistance provided by the waves, water and sand gives you a more challenging workout than simply jogging on a track.

The point is: be creative. Look around at all of the different ways you can exercise that don’t cost a single thing. Staying in shape doesn’t have to cost anything at all and it’s one of the best investments you can make.

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About The Frugal Law Student

The Frugal Law Student is for anyone trying to mitigate their crippling debt. Me? I'm trying to mitigate the tens of thousands of dollars I've taken on in student loans. Join me on my quest to avoid taking on more debt, paying off some of the debt I have, and trying to survive law school while doing it. Read more about The Frugal Law Student, check out some of the best articles, or become a subscriber via RSS feed or via email